Golf swing alignment apparatus

ABSTRACT

A golf swing alignment apparatus has a generally elogate and straight body, a golf tee accepting apperture at each end of the elogate body, and a cross bar at approximately 90 degree angle to the elongate boby medial to one golf tee accepting apperture. The tool focuses on the takeaway path and clubhead position for the first move in a golf swing during recreational play and accurately aligns a golfer&#39;s swing path during the swing as well as a golfer&#39;s golf club head position. The crossmember is located approximately 1/4″ behind the ball being held on the front tee. The device gives a clear visual path to follow and is portable, lightweight, flexible and convenient.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of golf and more specifically to an article of manufacture for golf swing alignment and specifically for a straightforward swing ‘rescue’ or re-alignment during recreational play or practice by focusing on the takeaway or first move in a golf swing.

The present invention concerns golf teaching devices, and more particularly concerns a golf teaching device adapted to rescue a golfer's swing alignment in the middle of a round as well as during practice. Golf is a deceptively complex game, when golfers ‘lose’ their swing in the middle of a round, they need to figure out what the problem is and ‘get back on plane’ to correctly hit the golf ball. Since most golfers do not use caddies, it is hard for them to figure out what they are doing wrong. Some will hit ‘practice’ shots into the trees to re-align their swing. They need something that can help them correct the sudden swing flaw.

It is important for novice golfers to learn a proper golf stance including a proper takeaway and a proper golf swing, so that consistently successful golf shots can be made. Also, it is important for more experienced golfers to periodically “return to the basics” or otherwise refine their game. Experienced golfers sometimes lose their swing plane in the middle of a round. Most golfers know that a ‘takeaway’ is the first move of a golf swing and it consists of taking the club back 18 inches low to the ground over an imaginary line before a shoulder turn is iniated for the remainder of the swing. One problem is that in anticipation of hitting the golf ball, the shoulder turn or lifting of the club is initiated prematurely before the club completes the 18 inches thus causing the swing to be ‘off plane’ or not properly aligned. Since the takeaway path line is imagined and even though most golfers know how far 18 inches is, they sub consciously forget and begin the shoulder turn before 18 inches is compete.

Golfers also lose alignment and recheck their aim using golf clubs placed on their chest or thighs. Correctly practicing the same golf swing creates muscle memory while practicing an incorrect swing is counter productive. Professional golfers use clubs on the ground to align themselves to the target which is not the most convient way to get properly aligned. Proper club head alignment and position relative to the ball is critical to hitting a golf ball even though alignment lines are not visible and must be imagined.

There are numerous golf training devices that attempt to improve a golfer's game by, among other things, improving a golfer's stance and the placement of a golf ball relative to the stance. These devices attempt to reduce the variables of alignment and ball placement, thus allowing the golfer to concentrate on his/her swing. However, many of these devices are cumbersome to set up and/or use, awkward to adjust, and/or difficult to carry. Further, many of these devices do not work, or distract the golfer such that it is difficult for the golfer to concentrate on his/her swing. For example, some devices in effect capture one or both of a golfer's feet such that the golfer cannot move in a natural manner without fear of stepping on the device. This causes the golfer to focus on avoiding the device, rather than on his/her swing. Other devices include vertically extending posts and the like that get in the way and make the device cumbersome to set up and use. Also, some of these devices are unsightly, and can be embarrassing for a golfer to use. Still other devices provide a complex adjustment mechanism that either takes a long time to adjust, is subject to error, or that requires a more complex adjustment procedure than most golfers are willing to make.

Therefore, there exists a need for a compact and straightforward golf alignment device that can be carried in a golf bag and used while practicing or playing and which provides an alignment means for the golfer's stance and target line, and which further has a target line alignment member positioned directly on the target line and which enables the golfer to strike balls therefrom.

Thus, a golf teaching device is desired solving the aforementioned problems.

A number of devices are known in the prior art for assisting a golfer in establishing a proper stance and aligning the golfer's self with the target line.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,010 issued to McDorman et al. discloses a training a device for golfers to assist in assuming a consistent stance when addressing the ball.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,393 issued to Williams et al. discloses a golf swing training device.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,132 issued to Weston et al. discloses an alignment apparatus and method for golfers. Weston et al. disclose a series of members pivotally secured to form an alignment device that includes a pair of parallel members aligned with the stance line and the swing path respectively. An additional member is disposed perpendicular relative to the parallel members for serving as a reference point for the alignment of the ball to the golfers body. The Weston et al. device is pivotally connected such that the device may be collapsibly closed and transported in a golf bag.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,234 issued to Zambili discloses a golf practice aid for assisting a golfer and maintaining proper stance about the golf ball and with respect to the target.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,288 issued to Amis discloses a golf stance alignment device for positioning on the ground between a golfer and a golf ball. The Amis device suffers from the same disadvantages discussed above; namely a first cross member 14 is not tangential with the point on the swing path at which the ball is struck.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,407 issued to Beatty, discloses a golf training method and device.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,220 issued to Hansen et al. discloses a golf practice device and method. The Hansen device includes a pair of parallel alignment members.

A number of devices are known in the prior art for assisting a golfer in establishing a proper stance and aligning the golfer's self with the target line. These are bulky and cumbersome, not compact or portable enough to take on the golf course.

Great Britain Foreign Patent GB 2,254,008 discloses a golf training aid including four interconnected members and a fifth elongated member for indicating ball position. The device requires that the fifth member be repeatedly disconnected, repositioned and reconnected by pins to accurately locate the ball fore-to-aft relative to the golfer's stance for different clubs, and that the one interconnected member closest to the golfer's feet also be repeatedly disconnected, repositioned and reconnected by pins to accurately position the golfer from the ball. This double repositioning and also the existence of a separate fifth member add undesirable complexity to the golfing device. Further, a set of holes (16) must be formed in the front and rear members for each different size golfer, which holes (16) make on-site customization of the device difficult.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,010 issued to McDorman et al. discloses a training a device for golfers to assist in assuming a consistent stance when addressing the ball. However, in order to actually strike a ball while using the device McDorman requires that a club facer assembly be removed from the impact zone. To accomplish this task, McDorman teaches a rather complex, springloaded mechanism.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,393 issued to Williams et al. discloses a golf swing training device. However, the Williams device does not include a swing path alignment member and further requires that an end portion (25) be pivoted back away from a golf ball prior to striking.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,132 issued to Weston et al. discloses an alignment apparatus and method for golfers. Weston et al. disclose a series of members pivotally secured to form an alignment device that includes a pair of parallel members aligned with the stance line and the swing path respectively. An additional member is disposed perpendicular relative to the parallel members for serving as a reference point for the alignment of the ball to the golfers body. The Weston et al. device is pivotally connected such that the device may be collapsibly closed and transported in a golf bag. However, the Weston device includes a swing path member that is actually some distance inside the circumference of the golfer's swing part, and thus offset from the actual target line. Accordingly, the Weston device does not include a means for directly identifying the target line.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,234 issued to Zambili discloses a golf practice aid for assisting a golfer and maintaining proper stance about the golf ball and with respect to the target. The Zambili device also suffers from many of the disadvantages discussed above.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,288 issued to Amis discloses a golf stance alignment device for positioning on the ground between a golfer and a golf ball. The Amis device suffers from the same disadvantages discussed above; namely a first cross member 14 is not tangential with the point on the swing path at which the ball is struck.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,407 issued to Beatty, discloses a golf training method and device. The Beatty device does not overcome disadvantages present and the prior art references discussed above.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,220 issued to Hansen et al. discloses a golf practice device and method. The Hansen device includes a pair of parallel alignment members, however, as with the other prior art devices discussed herein, the neither of the alignment members are positioned directly on the target line.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus help ‘rescue a swing’ in the middle of recreational play by accurately aligning a golfer's swing plane and takeaway or while training on the driving range in the most straightforward way. Another object of the invention is to provide a device to accurately align a golfer's club head position. Still yet another object of the invention is to provide a device to give a clear visual path of the takeaway of a golf swing the proper distance 18 inches straight back from the golf ball. Another object of the invention is to proved a portable, lightweight, flexible, indestructible, inexpensive, convenient, and straightforward device to accomplish the above.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a golf swing alignment apparatus having a generally elogate and straight body, a golf tee accepting apperture at each end of the elogate body, and a cross bar at approximately 90 degree angle to the elongate boby medial to one golf tee accepting apperture.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.

FIG. 1 there is shown a top view of an apparatus in accordance with a prefered embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a golf stance setup position.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.

The golfer must know how to correctly setup or address the golf ball before the swing is initiated. There is shown in FIG. 2 the proper golf stance or ‘address to the ball’ at 1. The correct golf swing takeaway or first move in a golf swing is shown at 2, which directly relates to said alignment tool in that the takeaway is isolated to reinforce the correct length and alignment a club should be taken straight back from the golf ball before a shoulder turn is executed. A clear visual path is illuminated for the golfer to follow which also ingrains the path into the golfer's psyche.

Turning to FIG. 1 there is shown a top view of the swing alignment apparatus focusing on the takeaway and clubhead position for the first move in a golf swing. The tool resembles a T Square ruler used in the drafting profession and acts like an arrow pointing towards a target. The proper distance a golf club should be taken away straight back from a golf ball before the golfer engages in turning the shoulders to continue the golf swing is shown at 1. The golf club face alignment position is at 2. Front eyelet 3 and golf ball position on top of a golf tee, back eyelet 4 for golf tees to be inserted to secure the alignment tool to the ground. A 2″ pointer that is aimed at the target is at 5.

A golfer then addresses the ball and places the club head atop element 2, located 1¼ inches behind element 3, and by initiating the golf swing atop element 1 the golfer is then aligned properly and the odds of executing a proper golf shot is greatly increased. The tool sets the club in the proper backswing plane by guiding the golf club along the alignment tool path and the rest of the golf swing becomes set or set up for a proper swing plane. This alignment tool can be used to ‘rescue a swing’ in the middle of recreational play by simply and accurately aligning a golfer's swing by emphasizing the takeaway path during the backswing for all golf clubs. After using the tool, the takeaway line is ingrained in the golfer's mind (the imaginary line 18 inches straight back is illuminated in the psyche).

FIG. 3 shows that the tool is very thin, ⅛ inch and is 20½ inches long which makes it extremely portable, lightweight (less than 1 ounce), flexible, durable (reusable), convenient, and straightforward due to the fact that it is made with Lexan™ advanced plastic polymers.

While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 

1. A golf swing alignment apparatus comprising: a generally elogate and straight body; a golf tee accepting apperture at each end of the elogate body; and a cross bar at approximately 90 degree angle to the elongate boby medial to one golf tee accepting apperture. 